Interview with John Carleton, Regional Director ANZ, Linesight
Linesight has been involved in over 455 data centres globally and delivered over 12,250 MW of critical power. W.Media caught up with Linesight’s Regional Director for ANZ, John Carleton, to discuss what key data centre operational issues around balancing risk versus innovation, will be examined at the panel session he is moderating at the Melbourne Convention: AI, Automation & Future Operations on 21st March.
Data centres now need to be designed in a way that can maximise their capacity, while retaining enough adaptability to expand as the cloud gets bigger, as well as keeping a watchful eye on sustainability and efficiency. John and the panel will share some of their insights on how that can be achieved.
W.Media: What are the key risks facing data centre builders and operators in the current ANZ DC market and what are some specific examples like the impact of AI; power regulation?
John Carleton: For me, one of the key risks initially facing DC builders and operators is the scale and pace of demand based on AI computing requirements. Asia-Pacific is one of the fastest-growing data centre markets globally. The surge in e-commerce, 5G expansion, and widespread adoption of cloud computing and AI are driving this growth. Public Cloud Services in APAC are expected to reach over US$150bn in 2026. In Australia alone, the DC project pipeline amounts to more than $10bn. However, it is not only the number of data centres being built, but the size and scale of each is growing exponentially.
We entered the market in 2011 and over the past decade, the Australian data centre market has seen remarkable growth. Initially, data centre projects were smaller, typically under 10MW, with construction taking 12 to 14 months. But as demand surged, so did the size of data centres, with 20-30 MW becoming the norm. Then came the hyperscalers, requiring even larger capacities of over 30 MW and shorter build times of under 12 months. Despite these shifts, the industry has adapted, setting new standards for scale, speed, and sustainability.
It is predicted that the industry is about to change dramatically once again. My view is that AI is the next gear change in data centre demand and evolution. Social media, IoT, migration to the cloud were the main drivers in the hyperscale evolution and they will remain key drivers of demand into the future. But AI will accelerate it to another level.
The good news is the DC sector has a proven track record of adapting to these challenges. However, it will require some outside of the box thinking and leadership from those within the industry. That’s why I am excited to hear our expert panel’s thoughts on balancing risk with innovation.
W.Media: What topics around risk and innovation will your panel explore?
John Carleton: I would like to hear the panel’s thoughts on risks around power usage and sustainability. As we know, the growth of the internet and cloud computing has caused a massive expansion of accessible information held in data centres, and therefore the energy consumption of data centres.
Governments around the world have been closely monitoring the development of data centres to address sustainability concerns arising from the energy-intensive facilities. Firstly, does the panel believe there is a risk the Australian government may follow suit from Singapore and Ireland relating to data centre moratoriums and the requirement to submit proposals for energy efficient performance strategies for new facilities post moratorium? Are there innovations from AI that we can use to integrate renewable energy sources more efficiently, thus mitigating risks associated with reliance on conventional power grids and fluctuating energy costs?
Also, I do believe that public perception of data centres is a risk, especially around sustainability. For those of us who work in the sector, we are aware that data centre owners have been constantly evolving best practices, improving energy management operations, using innovative design technologies and investing in renewable energy. But, has the industry done enough to educate the public on the efficiencies that data centres bring and what is actually driving demand for these pieces of critical infrastructure?
From a design perspective, what will AI data centre design look like in the future? Will there be AI specific data centres, or, as the technology and requirements are changing so rapidly, are we better off designing highly flexible DCs that can accommodate technological changes and reduce the risk of being redundant before they are completed?
If we then look under the hood of the data centre, what are the panel’s thoughts on innovative technologies that are emerging or being implemented at present? Are they witnessing data centre operators investing in High Performance Computing (HPC) Infrastructure and is there a shift from traditional CPUs to towards specialised hardware such as GPUs and TPUs? If the trend is moving towards higher density racks, is it now a necessity to implement new technologies like liquid and phase-change cooling within our new facilities?
W.Media: What will the audience learn about innovation mitigating risks?
John Carleton: I’d like the audience to take away how we can lean into AI and use the innovative benefits of the same to run data centres more efficiently. For instance, in what ways can automation and artificial intelligence improve risk management by streamlining operations, reducing human error, and enhancing response times to potential threats or disruptions? Similarly, can AI drive optimisation within the data centre operations, predicting demand patterns and energy management?
I am really looking forward to the panel session as I believe it will be a healthy discussion as to where we currently sit and what the future holds, and I look forward to you joining me.
John will be moderating the Panel Discussion: “How can data centres balance risk and innovation?” . To register for the Melbourne Convention on Thursday Match 21st at the Melbourne Convention Centre, please visit: https://clouddatacenter.events/events/melbourne-cloud-datacenter-convention-2024/
[Author: Simon Dux]
